


Goodbye, Sirius

by EliLeFey



Category: Severus Snape - Fandom, sirius black - Fandom
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:57:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4533441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliLeFey/pseuds/EliLeFey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius Black and Eli le Fey meet for the last time after his escape from Azkaban.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye, Sirius

"Trouble" as written by Mark Christopher Batson, Dawaun W. Parker, Che J. Pope, Andre Romell Young and Shawn C. Carter....

If you're lookin' for trouble 

You come to the right place 

If you lookin' for trouble 

Look right in my face 

 

 

 

 

Eli and Yojimbo tracked the black dog and cornered him near the Shrieking Shack. Yojimbo played the dog like a cutting horse with a slow steer. She dismounted and stood in front of the dog, who was unable to evade the horse’s moves. “I know it’s you, Black, come out already. Don’t worry, I won’t turn you in. I’m not doing anything to help the Ministry. Those assholes sent in Dementors, fuck ‘em all. Seems like they don’t want anyone talking to you. Let’s go inside.”

The three entered the shack. Black transfigured. “You look like shit, Black. Azkaban destroyed your pretty face. You didn’t do it, did you?”

Sirius grinned. “Why is it you are the only one who believes me?”

“The facts speak for themselves. If you were guilty you would not be here. You’d be long gone where no one could track you, where the Ministry has no jurisdiction. You’d be directly helping Riddle, not risking capture by coming to Hogswart. You are not here to hurt Lily’s son. You are here to help him. I never quite believed you would turn on your friends. They were all you had left. Pettigrew would, but you would have died first. So he was the Secret Keeper? No one would think it would be him, because he wasn’t trustworthy. I may hate your guts and wish I’d never met you, but I know you are not a coward and you would not aid and abet the murder of Potter or Lily, although you did try to murder Severus, using your own friend as a deadly weapon.  If you’d’ve come up with a better plan Potter would’ve joined in.”

 

Black looked down. “That was the worst thing I ever did in my life. I’ve had a lot of time to think about the errors of my ways, you know.”

“Yeah, well then, instead of being bitter about being imprisoned unjustly, look at it as paying your karmic debt forward and doing time for all the shit you got away with. Like those children you and the baby mamas won’t even admit are yours. As if you can really get away with anything.”

“James saved my soul that day. If I had murdered Severus I’d be as bad as You Know Who.”

“Wish I had a shot at him myself. But I’m forced into complete neutrality here. Really pisses me off, how the Ministry won’t let us help them take down Riddle, when it’s clear they can’t, or won’t. Seems like old Tommy gets a lot of support from within. Have you even seen either of your children?”

“no … “

“I’m sure they are better off without you in their lives. But back to Pettigrew.”

“It was just too obvious, the disappearance of the body, and of course, you didn’t even get a hearing. Someone wanted you gone; it was a set up. I know those involved in railroading you, they are the same ones behind my father’s murder, and they are lying in wait for me. They are really desperate to silence you, which says it all. Do you think you can do anything here, drawing fire?”

“I don’t have a lot of choices, do I? I have to make contact and I can’t trust anyone.”

“Amazing how quickly those whom you thought were on your side turned on you, isn’t it? How eager they were to believe the worst of you. How only the one who hates you believes in your innocence. Don’t ask me for any help. All I will do for you is keep silent. Which is more than your former friends will do. But if I could find you so can they.”

“They’re not Faeries, I hope I can stay a few steps ahead of ‘em. I know Pettigrew is here. I can smell him. He’s at Hogwart’s somehow.”

“Hiding as his animagus, maybe?”

“I’d say that would be the case. But which rat?”

“Ask a cat.”

 

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but I am really sorry about the way I treated you. I was disrespectful, I treated you the way my wretched family treated Muggles and elves. It was so hypocritical of me to criticize them while doing the same to you. You always stood up for what was right, what was ethical and just, you were always loyal to Severus. I hope he knows how fortunate he is to have such a friend.”

“He does.”

“James always did like you. And you know how Remus felt. It’s a pity you never got to know Lily, she wanted to get to know you but we made that impossible.”

Eli reached into her saddlebag. “Here.” She tossed him a pint sized Klein bottle. “Aqua vitae. “ She pulled a bundle of bread, cheese and meat out next. “I won’t let even a dog like you go hungry, Black. I’ll have one of the house elves bring you enough food so you don’t have to scavenge. And here’s a book for you to read.” She tossed him a book, The Battle For Tibet by --------- “He was there, one of the Black Turtles. It was bad, maybe not as bad as Azkaban, at least I volunteered. That prison, it’s worse than anything the Muggles are doing, it’s beyond inhumane. Using Dementors? Completely unjustifiable.”

“I hear you can kill them.”

“You betcha. So can Yojimbo. We kill them if they come on the premises; Hillgate Farm is now a Faerie embassy, legally a part of Faerie. It’s a Sanctuary for all Creatures. Older Sister built a hospital at the entrance, right down the road. Don’t bother going there, you’re on the No Pass list. Find your own sanctuary. You tried to murder my friend. You would be euthanized or banished from my realm. Under Faerie law Severus is permitted to kill you by whatever means necessary, including by proxy. So if he turned you over to the Dementors he would be more than justified. What I don’t understand is why you tried to use your lover to kill him. How could you do that to Remus? And is he the real reason you’re here, not Lily’s son?”

 

Sirius stiffened, and put down the bottle he was opening. “What are you going on about? Lovers? How dare you!”

“Oh, shut up, Black, anyone who had an eye to see knew, don’t worry, most of the other students were too wrapped up in their own issues to notice. You Terrans are so stupid sometimes. Who the hell cares how you use your naughty bits, or with whom? It’s a pity that y’all are so much in the closet, you used to talk shit about the Fey and our sexual activities, as if you knew, and there you were with a secret boyfriend—and two illegitimate children. Only reason I never said anything was because Remus deserved better. Did he try to dump you so you wanted to set him up as a murderer? As if it couldn’t be traced back to you? What were you thinking?”

 

Sirius turned away from her and hung his head. He was silent for over a minute, then a very soft voice, he said, “We had a terrible fight, it got started because of you and Severus, as usual. I thought I was going to lose him, I couldn’t handle that.”

“Oh, come on, Remus is just not my type, even if you hadn’t been around nothing would have happened.”

“I didn’t know that. He used to talk about you all the time, I got sick of hearing it. I was literally crazy about him.” He opened the bottle and took a drink. “That’s good stuff.” He turned and faced her. “I still don’t know how things got so out of control, the fight got physical and he really wanted to hurt me. I .. . I thought I’d lost him. And I fell into that stupid ‘if I can’t have you no one can’ scenario, and I wanted to hurt you even more, and I knew that killing Severus was the only way to destroy you and make you suffer the way I thought you made me suffer, taking away your lover. Then you would have killed Remus, and gone away forever.”

“I would have come after you first.”

“And I would have welcomed it.”

“You still love him.”

“More than ever. I can’t let go.”

 

Tears began to stream unnoticed down his face. “At that Yule dance, when I saw the way he looked at you when you were dancing, it felt like a bayonet in my gut. I wanted him to love only me, to look at me the way he looked at you. It hurt so bad, I wanted to run out of the hall before I could start crying, so I went after you instead. You know, nothing that happened to me in Azkaban felt that bad as I felt that night. I wanted to be dancing with him, but they didn’t do that, they still don’t. Everything has to be boy girl, and if you’re not that way, you’re ostracized. Oh, yeah, everyone says they accept you, but if you don’t conform to the norm, you get treated differently, you’re an outsider.”

“I know a lot about that at Hogwarts, Black. I guess I can’t really hold your hereditary insanity and tendency to act out impulsively and with vengeance instead of foresight against you. You’re not quite as bad as most of your clan, they eat their young, don’t they?”

He nodded, with a rueful smile. He took another drink. He noticed the bottle’s level did not drop after each drink. “You never got to know him, he is like Lily, he made me feel better about myself when I was with him, he saw only the good in people.”

“But that’s just as stupid as seeing only the bad, when you ignore the other side, you don’t have the real person, you have a caricature. It’s the shadow side of the anima, when you only see the good and ignore the bad, you’re aiding and abetting the bad by not acknowledging it.  Remus and Lily made you feel better about yourself, I suppose, but they didn’t make you a better person by refusing to see the flaws and helping you to face your daemons.  Lily and Remus's shadow side was that they tend to be manipulative and masochistic, and that creates a lot of damage.”

“I suppose you’re right. You have the most annoying habit of being right all the time. I see your point, by denying the existence of a bad side, you make it worse. It’s just that … I don’t know how to explain it. I had to have him, the way James had to have her, and like him, I was willing to do anything, lie, cheat, steal, anything to get Remus away from you the way he had to get Lily away from Severus. Lily knew she wasn’t right for him and you were.”

 

“She and Potter came to me the Samhain right after they were murdered. I was stationed in Tibet at the time. Usually I go to Avalon and that’s where anyone on the other side of the veil who wants to talk to me meets me, but she tracked me down and dragged Potter along. We talked all night, we got most things settled. If only you had been the Secret Keeper, Black. I always loathed that unctuous worm Pettigrew.”

“It was Remus who brought that vermin into our circle, maybe he needed someone to feel superior to, maybe he felt sorry for him, I don’t know. You know it was Lily who suggested he be the secret keeper.”

“Maybe if she hadn’t been so deliberately ignorant of the venal side of him she would have known better. Seems like you Marauders set yourself up, eh? You played right into Riddle’s hand.”

“And you would have known better.”

“Obviously. I have to see things clearly, as they are, not how I want them to be. That’s why you Terrans fuck up magic so much. You put your ego first, and you get everything wrong, things won’t work because you’re fighting the natural order. Hell, there are plenty of Muggles who know more about magic than some of y’all. It’s as stupid as pretending there is no gravity when you’re walking a tightrope. That’s what will trip up Riddle and his pals, their insane arrogance.'

 

Sirius picked up the bread and tore off a piece, then ate a slice of meat. “I’m famished.”

Eli looked around her.  “This place is so depressing, poor Remus, all those years, having to come to this dismal wreck during his period … once a month he was on the wolf, couldn’t be around anyone.”

Sirius looked at her and smiled. “He’s right about you, you are like a goddess. If I could go back in time, the one thing I would have changed was attacking you on the train. If only I had tried to be friends, if only I could have seen what you and Severus are, I didn’t know. If you had been my friend, you would have helped me, you don’t tolerate bullshit from anyone, you would have called me on it, no one ever did. I just kept getting away with stuff.”

Eli rolled her eyes and smirked. “Do you really think you can ever get away with anything? Karma always tears you a new one when you least expect it. I’m no saint. You know how I was talking about Lily’s shadow side? I’m a Warrior. My shadow side is I can be a horrible bully, I can abuse power and I have to keep balanced, I have to be mindful of the traps, I have to be brutally honest with myself . .. and as a Faerie, if I’m not, someone will get in my face and make me. My mother and my sister balance that out, like they balanced out my father, he was a Warrior, too. My teachers, and the Crone have trained me in how to control ‘the beast within’ with music, with rituals, with potions and spells.”

 

She got up and stretched. “Then you have to remember, I’m training in Necromancy, and I have to face anyone on the other side of the veil who wants to see me, and I have to reconcile with those I’ve killed.” She took out her athame and pointed at the four corners. “just putting on some shadows, so you will be hidden even if someone looks in. I don’t want you found here. I don’t want any Ministry jackasses braying at the gates. I’m staying out of this fight. Stay away from me, stay away from my family and friends.”

“Is redemption not possible in your beliefs?”

“Not when you have done things you can’t make whole again. You have never taken responsibility for what you have done, or made restitution. There can be no forgiveness without the first step, let alone redemption. You seem to think that one good deed will make up for all the bad things you have done. Well, it doesn’t. What about all of those whom you have harmed? All those girls in school you used and tossed aside? You’ve done a lot of bad things to a lot of people, you violated people’s trust, you misused magic for your own self gratification, you treated other people’s pain like a joke. You want to know what I believe? That you will reincarnate to some pretty nasty future lives, and you’ll never know why you’re being punished. You will flail about and howl your misery to the gods. And maybe you will learn a few things along the way, and maybe you will come to enlightenment. I’ve had enough of you. Do what you can to help Lily’s son, but as far as I can see, you’ve been more of a problem to him than any help. Because of you, the Ministry released Dementors and too much attention is being focused on him and Hogwart’s. You’re actually making it easier for Riddle, since he owns so many in the Ministry.”

 

 Eli went to Yojimbo and removed the bedroll, and tossed it to him. “You always carry supplies when you go out riding?” Sirius asked.

“Of course, ‘be prepared’ you never know when you’ll be called into action.”

“You knew I was here.”

“Obviously.”

“Thank you, Eli le Fey. If this is how you treat your enemies, I truly wish I was your friend.”

“Goodbye, Sirius Black. May you succeed in your mission. Let me tell you a secret,” she said, making a gesture over her lips that he knew was a secret keeper charm, “We can’t directly interfere, it would violate the Treaty. However, if the Ministry should fall, should they violate the terms of our treaty, in either case, we are permitted to jump in and make sure Riddle loses. So even if you fail, remember, he will lose in the end. We’re just stepping in should the Home Guard fail. If you are in the Forest and run into Firenze, he can explain more.” She bowed and left the shack.

 

Sirius knew he would never see her again on this side of the veil. He would call on her when he died, on Samhain. He sensed his death closing in, he could smell it when he went animgus.

He smelled it so often at Azkaban, where the smell of death surrounded him. Most of the prisoners died without any record made of their passing. They were left to rot where they died. No one in the Ministry ever thought to see how things were being run.

 

Sirius felt more comfortable that night than he had since he had been arrested years ago. His belly was full, he had a nice buzz from the aqua vitae, his favorite drink, and he was warm in the blanket she’d given him. T

 

 

Severus came to the loft via floo powder and was waiting when she got back.. Eli told him of the encounter. “This is why I am glad I can’t get involved in this fight. Some of the good guys are at least as bad as the bad guys.’

“What are you going to do about it? I can see you have to be really careful, don’t want to blow your cover.”

He reached over and ruffled up her short hair, smiling fondly at her. 

“Your problem is you are a warrior, Eli, and you want to jump into battle immediately. Spying doesn’t work like that. I have to try and set something up. What I’d like to do is catch them both at once, maybe let Lupin have it out with Pettigrew, get Pettigrew out of the way permanently and force Lupin into hiding. He would have to leave at the end of term, like all the other professors before him, anyway, and he’s doing good work with the Order. How long do you think he could stay undetected anyway? Even with the potions I’m brewing, eventually he’d be outed. It’s not like it was when we were students, there are too many watchers, too many with ulterior motives in the Ministry. You’ve also got to remember Harry and his merry pranksters, they are known to tip over the cauldron when things are brewing, at the most inopportune time.”

 

“So how is Neville doing?”

“I know how you feel about him, but he’s rather a disappointment. I’m afraid I may have overplayed my hand and he is still terrified of me,”

Eli smiled. “Yes, you can be quite terrifying, when you want to be. Augusta doesn’t want me hanging around him, I understand that. It’s not a good time to be too closely associated with the Fey right now. Attracts too much attention.”

“I’m keeping an eye on him. He is one of Harry’s staunchest allies. But I expected Alice’s son to be a bit bolder, more adventurous, and he’s timid as a dormouse. I suppose being raised by Augusta could do that to a child.”

“She is formidable, I agree. Overpowering. But she loves him. Give him time.”

“I guess tough love didn’t work with him.”

“Maybe he’s just a late bloomer.”

 

 

Severus told Eli about Sirius's dramatic escape from Hogwarts on Buckbeak, both glad that the hippogriff escaped.  Jeanne-Marie was very upset with the Ministry over the ruling to kill him and had filed a protest through official channels, when her petition to allow her to send him to Avalon was turned down.  Two days later, Eli got a message from Abe to stop by the pub, so she saddled up Yojiimbo, where she was somewhat surprised to see Remus waiting for her.  Yojimbo curled his lip and went to the bar.  

"Sorry about my horse, he just doesn't like werewolves."

Remus smiled.  "That's the case for the Ministry, too.  I got outed.  Looks like I'll be moving on soon.  I stopped by to thank you for helping out Sirius.  He told me about how you fed him and gave him a blanket and something to drink.  He asked me if I could get the blanket, book and bottle."   

"Sure, should still be in the Shack, you want to go?"  She signaled to Yojimbo who followed them out the door and down the road to the shack.  "He's in a safe place?"

 "Yes, his parent's townhouse.  It's got enough hexes and charms to keep out anything."

"Is he the last of his line?"  

"He hopes so."

"If only; hasn't he mentioned he has two children?  Unacknowledged, of course . .. their mothers aren't proud of the connection."  

  

They arrrived at the shack.  Remus went to the wall and moved a board, where the blanket roll had been kept.  "Right where he said it would be."  He stroked the blanket.  "Sirius told me how much it meant to him when you chased him  down and helped him out.  That you were the only one who believed he was innocent, knew he would never betray James and Lily."

"Did you think he did it?"  

Remus stared at her with his brow furrowed.  

"Let's get out of this place, I hate it, must have been sheer hell for you locked up once a month."

 She took the bottle out of the blanket, pulled the stopper, took a drink, and passed it to Remus.  She rerolled the blanket over the book and tossed it over Yojimbo's saddle.  "Let's go for a walk."  She headed for the bridle path to Hillgate.  "You can't apparate on our land, you know."   

 

They walked through an oak grove.   There was a stone circle, and Eli went to the middle of it and sat down.  "It's a nice day, let's sit here for a while."  She reached in the saddle bag and took out a parcel of sandwiches.

 "Be prepared,"  Remus smiled at her.  Yojimbo wolfed down half of the sandwiches immediately.  

"So, did you think he was innocent, did you sometimes think he did it?'  Eli asked.

''At first I said no, it had to be something else, but I went along with the crowd, like I always do."  He took a long drink from the bottle.  "I guess I just went along to get along, but I just couldn't believe he would do something like that."  He looked at her.  "But now and then, I thought about how he tried to get Severus killed, by me, after he got angry with me and I threatened to leave him for good ... he went crazy, I know that.  My poor Sirius is prone to fits of madness ... it's in his genes, as you Faeries would say.  To be fair,  I was always the one who threw the first punch.  He could be so thoughtless, that would make me lose my temper.  I mean, I wasn't supposed to be jealous of all those girls he had, he said it was to fool everyone so they'd never suspect us, but he wouldn't tolerate me looking at you or talking about you." 

He took another drink, and looked away towards the lake through the trees.  "At first it was James who hated Severus so much.  He's the one who first got us going after him.  He was up front about how he wanted him away from Lily.  So young, but he knew what he wanted, and wanted Severus out of the picture.  'He's not a Gryffindor, he's just a snake, they live in a hole in the ground,' you know, stuff like that.   He just didn't want to share her, he had to be her everything.  Then you came along, and I understood how he felt.  Sirius didn't like that, he didn't like how you were friends with Severus from the start, it was just another reason to keep bullying him.  Lily always wanted to get to know you but she understood why you kept your distance, she knew you did that to almost everyone.  We used to pester Eleutheria and try to get her to talk about you, help us get next to you."

He smiled at Eli.  "When you and Severus got involved, Lily was so happy!  She talked about the two of you to me, never anyone else, she knew how James and Sirius felt.  She knew about Sirius and me, she never judged, but she never said anything ... but i have to say in James' defense, when you told him about us, he never in any way gave any indication he cared very much.  He was a lot more tolerant than I thought he'd be.   I remember when we were getting ready for that last Yule ball, she said she hoped you would bring him to Avalon, that he belonged there, and when school was over maybe we could all be friends."   

"That was a nice dream.  So how is Buckbeak?  They don't make very good pets, but to be sure, Sirius needs a partner, and I suppose Bucky can help keep an eye out for him.  I'm sure they make a great team."  Yojimbo snorted and shook his head.

Remus grinned.   "That beast is even messier than Sirius!  He seems to be perfectly happy, but I think he needs more exercise."   

 

"How are you doing?"

"Much better now.  I missed him so much.  I don't expect you to understand."

"But I do, probably more so than most of your friends.  So you're both bisexuals and you love each other.  Nothing wrong with that, at least not where I'm from.  I'm glad you've got each other, just promise me you won't hit him any more."  

"I can promise you that.  Tell me something, did I ever have a chance with you?" 

"I need someone who can stand up to me, with me and for me, who's always got my back, you know, an equal partner, and Remus, you just didn't fit the job description.  The next time you're in Nocturne Alley, stop by number 394, there is a botanist there.  Ask for the purpura lupus interfectorem.  It's a special herb you can't get anywhere else.  You might like it in your tea." 

 

**The next section takes place after Sirius's death**

Eli was informed by the Crone immediately after Sirius' death.  She sent a raven with a note to Albus, asking about how Remus was handling the news.  She knew that losing Sirius again would devastate him, and she offered help with potions and spells to sooth his tortured soul.  She sent a message to Older Sister and Severus that she would be in the London flat.  

When she got to the flat, she greeted the cats, put on some music, and lay on the hearthrug, and went to find Remus from the astral plane.  She didn't have much of a connection to him and tried to find him in places he was fond of.  She went first to Nocturne Alley, to the pub he and Sirius went to, where same sex couples were not an issue.  She got lucky and found him almost immediately.  He was seated in a corner booth, with a flagon of very good ale sitting in front of him, untouched.  He had the "thousand yard stare" that soldiers got sometimes when they were overwhelmed by the reality of war.  She spoke his name, and he was startled.  She apparated to the seat across the table.  

It took Remus a few seconds to react to the sight of Eli appearing in front of him. 

"Eli . . . where did you come from?"  

"I found you from the astral plane and I can apparate wherever I am on the plane."

"That's a useful thing to know, much safer than apparating because you can see what's going on where you want to go."

"Yeah.  I don't have to ask how you're doing.  You need help, dude.  You're coming with me.  We've got a flat over near Whitehall.  Let's walk."

 

They walked quickly through the streets, thanks to the Shadow Eli pulled over them, unnoticed by both Muggles and Wizards.  When they got to the flat, Jeanne-Marie was already there, and handed Remus a chalice.  He drank what was in it and his body slowly began to relax.  She led him to a chaise near the fireplace, and covered him with a soft blanket after removing his coat.  Remus was stunned by the Faerie's ethereal beauty.  He thought Eli was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen until he saw her.  Jeanne-Marie was more feminine, slender, tall, and graceful as a dancer.  Eli was stronger, much more athletic.  He thought Jeanne-Marie must be what Hestia looked like, and Eli like Artemis.  Both goddesses, both beautiful, both very different.  

 

Severus arrived about an hour later.  He and Eli went into the kitchen and shut the door.  Both of the flat cats, a ginger Manx and a lean long legged black cat, curled up on the blanket next to him.  Eli emerged about twenty minutes later with food on a tray, which she set down on a side table where Jeanne-Marie had put the potions she was using on Remus.  

"I have to get back to the hospital; just keep him calm and let him talk it out.  Tomorrow, after he's gotten some sleep, he might be able to return to Sirius's home."

Severus walked out of the kitchen.  "The place is an absolute wreck, disgusting how messy it is."  

"He hated that place, he hated his family," Remus said with a deep sigh.  He seemed to like letting it fall apart to spite his ancestors, especially his mother."  

"No wonder he was so messed up.  Nature or nurture, he got the worst.  Can't imagine why you let people like that breed."  Eli snorted.  "killed by his own cousin.  That Bellatrix, she never should have been allowed to learn magic, she was always insane."

 

Just then Albus arrived via the floo network.  He moved a chair so he could sit next to Remus, and took the younger man's hand in his.  Albus showed traces of his combat with Riddle; he was clearly exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes.   

Remus looked up at Albus.  "Harry let her live, he let that murdering bitch live, and I've lost Sirius forever," he choked out and began to sob.  Albus thought of his lost love Gellert; was it easier or harder to lose your love to death?  He put his arms around Remus and let him cry on his shoulder, gesturing to Eli and Severus to leave.  They went into one of the bedrooms and shut the door.  

Eli and Severus didn't talk, they both thought of how it would be if the other were to die suddenly, and they spent the night wrapped in each other's arms.  When Severus got up early to return to Hogwarts, he found a note from Albus, who had given Remus another dose of sleeping potion.  Eli looked down at him.  "I suppose I can get him back to Grimmaud Place, if he wants to go, if not he can stay here."

 

Before Severus left, Remus woke up.  Eli brought him some coffee, and he drank it as Severus sat down next to him, and looked at him in the way Severus had, which had always intimidated Remus.  Those deep black eyes seemed to be able to read his innermost thoughts.  "Your friends are worried about you, Remus," he said in his resonant bass voice.  "We know how hard it is to go back to that place, but you must, you must help fight those who did this.  These are the same people who murdered Eli's father, the same people who want to kill Lily's son, and you are needed in that effort."

"Why didn't Harry kill her when he had a chance?"

"He couldn't.  He wasn't ready, and he wouldn't because she wasn't fighting back."  

"What difference does that make?  She's like a rabid dog, she will kill again, she will do more crimes, you know what she's like."

"I would have killed her, I know what she can and will do, and she will harm many more before she is through,"  Severus said, shaking his head.  "I wish he had killed her, so I won't have to deal with her myself.  It's so very hard to disguise how I feel about those murdering thugs, but I have to.  We all have duties now we must perform.  And now I must get to my classes."  

Eli went to him and embraced him.  He kissed her and took the floo back to the farm, then to his office in Hogwarts.

 

"What do you want for breakfast?"  

"Why don't we get something at  ..  . Sirius's home?"  Remus took a deep breath.  "I don't want to go there, but I have to face it.  This is going to hurt."

"You bet it will.  It will hurt terribly, but there is no way to avoid the pain.  It gets better, but getting through the time until it does is pretty bad.  I don't think it's a good idea for me to show up with you, most of your pals hate me and my people."  She laughed.  "Death Eater or Phoenix, the one thing they agree on is that Faeries should be wiped out."   

"I insist."

"Let's walk."  Eli pulled down a shadow as they walked through London to Grimmaud Place.  When they entered, they were greeted by Arthur Weasley and Mad Eye Moody.  "Thank you for taking care of Remus yesterday, we didn't know where he'd gone until Albus told us you'd found him.  And thank your sister for her help." 

"She took an interest in Remus because we haven't had any werewolves in Faerie for over a thousand years.  We found a cure, you know, and a vaccine." 

"Banned by the Ministry, I know,"  Weasley said with a frown.  "Well, come in and get something to eat."

 

Remus led them to the kitchen, Eli hanging back, where Molly Weasley grabbed Remus and hugged him, saying, "There you are, you ran away to that horrible Faerie whore, I was so worried."

 Eli laughed. "Now I know where Ron learned his bad manners,"  

 Molly turned bright red, and Weasley frowned at his wife.  

"She found me and told Albus where I was, and her sister helped me.  Please, be nice to her, Molly."  

Eli handed Remus two vials.  "The purple is to help you sleep, and the green is to help you release your sorrow.  Just put a capful in whatever you're drinking."  

 

Molly tried to grab the vials.  "I won't have that Faerie poison in my kitchen,"  she snarled.  "From that woman, she's just a veterinarian, not a healer!" 

Remus shocked everyone by yelling, "SHUT YER GOB, YE FAT COW!  It's not YOUR kitchen, it's Sirius's.  How dare you say something like that about one of the greatest healers of our age?"  

Eli turned to the hysterical woman with a look that stopped her in her tracks.  "You just insulted my sister, and my people.  I don't give a SHYTE what you think of me, but you went too far.  It's on, bitch.  You want a fight, you got one."  

Molly muttered under her breath, "The only thing I agree on with Malfoy is how we never should have let your kind come back."  

"THAT'S ENOUGH, WOMAN!"  Mad Eye Moody hollered.  

"You aren't worthy of a duel,"  Eli sneered as she turned around and marched out the house, followed closely by Weasley and Moody, who tried to apologize for her behavior.  

 

"I'm sorry about that, she's had a bee in her bonnet about you since Ron told her how 'mean' you were to him.  Hermione told me what happened, he was rude, I spoke to him about you and your father, how the Death Eaters targeted your father, and all the attacks on the Fey were orchestrated by the very people she hates!  She didn't like your father, she doesn't like rich Wizards in general, thinks they all got their wealth by exploiting Muggles . . I know how much the Morgans respect Muggles, and Elves, and all the creatures ... you realize that some of us do suffer from 'speciesism' about some beings."  

Eli smiled.  "It was the same shyte the Gryffies said about me when I was in school.  I'm used to it.  Assure her that I shall never cross that threshold again, nor will I ever willingly face her again."

Mad Eye grinned.  "Her biggest problem with the Fey is that you don't get married, you don't settle down and start pushing out babies, you're out there doing what she thinks is improper for ladies.  You know how it is with Terrans, how they are uptight about sex other than married, once a month in the Missionary positition.  Let's go get something to eat."

 

They went to a nearby coffee shop for waffles and mixed grill.  Both of the Wizards recalled working with Takeshi, his interest in Muggles and their music and culture, and sympathized with his antiaparteid view.  "What are you going to do with Buckbeak?" Eli asked as they were finishing their food.  

"We were hoping you could take him to Avalon."  

"Good idea.  Have Remus fly to the roof of the building where we have our flat, and we can go to the gateway at the Isle of Man tonight.  When the moon rises, I will be waiting for him there."   

 

She left the men and strode off to return to the flat.  She sent a message to Jeanne-Marie about Buckbeak and decided to take a long nap.  She knew she should get some of the piles of regimental paperwork done, but she just lacked all energy and focus.  Taking care of Remus drained her.  

 

After Eli left the building, Remus exploded in rage at Molly.  "When everyone, including you, were against Sirius, she knew he was innocent and she helped him.  Even though he had been as hateful to her as you just were.  I never got a chance to get to know her because of how he and James treated her.  I finally had another chance to be her friend and you just drove her off.  After she took the time to go find me and help me.  What is wrong with you?  Why did you do that to her?  What did she ever do to you?  I know you hate Severus for no reason, just like we did when we were children.  Haven't we got enough enemies already? "

"I'm sorry," she said.

"No, you're not, even I can hear the insincerity in your voice.  You called her a whore.  You insulted her sister.  You're just lucky she didn't demand a duel, she is more than justified.  She  can't help being more beautiful and more talented than you are, that's no reason to behave like ... like ... Bellatrix le Strange.  I don't think you and I are friends anymore.  Leave me alone."  

He stumbled up the stairs to their room, crawled under the blanket, and cried.  

 

That is how Mad Eye Moody found him.  He told Remus about the plan to evacuated Buckbeak to Avalon.  "You mean she wants me there?"  

"Yes," said Mad Eye, "She specifically asked that you ride Bucky to the roof of her place tonight, to meet her there when the moon rises."

"So I can see her one more time," he said.  

"She's not mad at you, Remus.  She did say she'll never come back here and never wants to see Molly again, I think you can count on that.  That's the way Faeries are, you don't get a second chance.  I wish Molly hadn't done that, we sure could use her help.  Not to mention her older sister.  Is she as beautiful as they say?"  

"She is beyond beautiful, they are both goddesses."  

"Eli's main job is keeping Severus alive and well.  She's doing a lot, says Albus.  He's irreplaceable, we need him.  Any rate, she has to keep a very low profile, no one outside of this group can know that the Fey are aiding us.  They have to be officially neutral.  It's best for her to have as little contact as possible with us.  I'm a bit worried about Molly; I didn't know she hated Eli that much and she can't be trusted not to tell the wrong person.  I'm going to have to put a mind block on her, so don't even mention Eli around her.  He gave Remus a playful punch in the shoulder.  "I envy you, you get to see Avalon."  

"What?  How do you know she's going to take me along?"

"She said the healers want to see how you're doing, and teach you some methods of grief therapy.  Get some rest.  Faerie therapy can be intense.  You know the Fey have been monitoring us for a long time, they don't interfere unless things get completely out of control.  They prefer to help us win the battles and stay out of the picture completely.  They are masters of protective coloration, they fade out of sight if you look too closely.  And I know that they can be your best friend or your worst enemy, depending on how you treat them.  They're taking an interest in you, son.  That means you matter to them.  And to us.  You're needed."  Mad Eye left the room.  

 

He went to the kitchen, where Molly was sobbing in a corner, her husband looking grimly at her.  It was apparent they had a nasty fight and she was the loser.  Mad Eye settled down a chair next to her.  "Let's get a few things clear, Molly.  You're not the star of this show.  If any of us are indispensable, it's Severus Snape.  No one else can do what he's doing.  Severus needs Eli and her people to keep him one step ahead of the Dark Lord.  You are dispensable.  We cannot allow your petty jealously and spite endanger the mission.  So I'm putting a memory block and a lock so that you can't mention her name or take any note of her presence.  She does not exist in your world any more.  You will never speak of her again.  He hit the ground with his stick three times.  Molly felt the spell slam into her mind.  It hurt, but only for a moment.  

 

Remus got up two hours before the waning gibbous moon was to rise.  He went to the kitchen.  Mad Eye was at the table.  Tonks had arrived, with others he could hear in the front room.  Tonks ran up to him and hugged him tightly.  He could see she'd been crying, her eyes were red, her face streaked where tears had trickled down.   "Don't run away from us, ever again, Remus, we all love you."  

"I just needed to get away and Eli found me."   He got a mug of coffee, dumped some brown sugar in it and sat next to Mad Eye.  "Now I get to set Buckbeak free in Faerie."   

Tonks sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a purple handkerchief.  "That's so wonderful.  Wish I could be there with you." 

 

After he finished his coffee, he went to the roof with the others.  Buckbeak was already there.  When the first sliver of moon showed at the eastern horizon, he mounted the hippogriff and they flew off towards Whitehall, to the sound of cheers from the assembled Order, including Albus.  He and Buckbeak spiraled above them, he waved and they sped to Whitehall, and spiraled down to the roof where Eli was waiting in a rooftop garden.  

"I don't think he can carry both of us to the Isle of Man, so I'll show you that trick of astral apparation.  Ordinarily I would leave my body in bed, it's safer, but this roof is secured and I won't be here long.  Watch."

She kissed first the hippogriff and then him on their foreheads.  "That's so you can see me."  

She wrapped herself in a blanket and lay down next to an herb garden.  Remus saw her spirit leave her body.  "Let's go" she said, and floated over Buckbeak's body, wrapping her arms around his neck.  "To Maughold Point on the Isle of Man!"  Remus noticed she had merged her astral body with the hippogriff's and was directing his flight.  He relaxed and enjoyed the ride.  They arrived at the Point and Eli led them to a crevice in the rocks.  She floated over to a crevice in the rocks, and apparated.  

"Over here," she said, and performed a series of gestures while repeating a spell.  Suddenly mists came out of the crevice, which widened to reveal a staircase.  She led them down the stairs, through the mists and they emerged into the large cave that formed the terminal at Avalon.  Remus craned his neck and turned around to see everything he could.   Buckbeak let out a cry, and flapped excitedly when it was returned.  A small group of airborne hippogriffs appeared and landed near them.   He went to the group, where they bowed to each other.  The hippogriff turned and looked back at Remus.  He let out another cry, then leaped into the air, and followed the group as they flew off across the lake.  

Jeanne-Marie hugged Remus.  "Thank you, he's free at last.  Now, come along, the healers are waiting for you."  Remus walked between the sisters, taking it all in.  He'd seen pictures; Eleutheria consented to show him some one day when she was feeling charitable, but this was beyond what he imagined.  The air was cleaner, everything was beautiful, just like going to the ballet.  He saw unicorns and Faerie horses moving freely, Eleutheria told him that no animal was every restrained or caged.  Minerva told him of her visits to the College of Druids and working with them on transfiguration spells, and how they danced magic.   

 

He was taken to a room where he was put on a gurney, his body scanned with a device that flashed in colors and projected numerals and letters above him.  He was surrounded by Faeries and a few Terrans.  Jeanne-Marie looked concerned.  "The problem is you've been infected so long it will take a lot of time for the cure to happen.  Maybe even years.  And you can't be seen hanging around the Farm; the Ministry is always watching the gates, we can't treat you there.  You'll just have to keep drinking the potions; Severus knows what he's doing.  Trust him.  Tell no one of this, it's a lifetime sentence in Azkaban for anyone caught with any Faerie medications or potions."

 

 

 Eli was not surprised that Samhain that Sirius Black was the first one through the veil. She knew he’d be there.

So did Severus. He was at her side when Sirius appeared. Sirius grinned. “So this is Avalon,” he said. He didn’t notice the girl standing at Severus’s side at first, as he bowed to Eli. He offered his hand to Severus, who ignored the gesture.

“I know I should apologize, but words won’t do it, will they? Not when I spoke so many so viciously. Lashon Hara, as well as Hotzaat Shem Ra, both I am told, among the worst moral crimes. I had no excuse. You never tried to harm me, other than to try to defend yourself.”

"Obviously." Severus spoke without emotion, face completely blank

. The little girl tugged at his right hand. "I told you he wouldn't recognize me, Father."

"This is Lily."

Sirius looked at the girl. "So that's where you've gone. James said you'd been sent back, and you made it to Avalon? James told me his punishment was to be without you, for trying to keep you away from someone who loved you. We did you both wrong."

"I am happy now. Thank you for looking after Harry. If only we'd chosen you to be the Secret Keeper, Sirius."

 

Sirius looked around him. "This place is amazing. If I'd've been born here I never would have left."

"That's what Alice said the first time she came here," Eli replied.

"Another victim of that cousin of mine, she should have been drowned by her nurse in the bath, she was always the craziest of the family, and that's a lot of crazy."

"You're too kind," Severus said.

"I don't see why you allow so many of the worst magical thugs to run free, and don't stop them until they have destroyed so many lives. Either cure them, contain them, or kill them." Eli shook her head. "I might not like that old Weasley sow, but to burn her house down?"

"Harry's going to regret letting her live."

 

 

Sirius looked at the girl. "I never met my children."

"They don't even know of your existence."

"Come along. There's someone here who wants to see you," Eli said. She led him around the side of a building, to where two hippogriffs were standing.

"Buckbeak?"

"Who else? Remus brought him back here." She took some strips of roast goat out of her bag and gave it to the hippogriffs. "Let's go for a ride."

Sirius and Buckbeak were overjoyed to see each other. They flew into the sky, Eli pointing out the sights, and they circled the island, landing at the transport plaza. Eli took him by the hand and led him through the mists to Hillgate Farm. "Now that you're dead you can be on the premises, but you'd best behave yourself. There is someone you need to see." She activated a portkey and they went to the roof of the building in Whitehall. "We have a flat downstairs," Eli explained. "Let's go for a walk."

She led him to Nocturne Alley, to the Two Wizards bar. He began to hyperventilate. It couldn't be. It was. Remus was sitting in his usual spot at their corner table. Remus leaped to his feet, as they rushed to each other across the crowded dance floor. Eli signaled the waiter for a round and sat down at their table. "I told you he'd show up," Eli said to Remus. They toasted the gods and the dead in a Samhain blessing, offered a libation, and drank.  Eli smiled at them.  "I have to get back to Avalon.If you'd like to take a look at your children, you have the magic to do so.  Think about their mothers, focus on their names, and you should get a fix on them.  I'd advise you go in disguise," Eli said.  She touched both of their foreheads.  "Then apparate when you know where they are."

 

One fine day in November Eli and Yojimbo went to the Hogshead for some ale. They entered, Yojimbo whinnying to Abeford and Eli nodded as they went to their usual table in a dark corner near the back entrance. “Someone wants to talk to you, Eli, she’s been asking about you for some time. Name’s Nymphandora Tonks.”

“Don’t call me Nymphandora,” a tall, well muscled woman said loudly. “Call me Tonks,” she said as she strode up to the table.

Yojimbo looked at her, one ear laid back as he sniffed her.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, bowing, then sliding into a seat next to Eli. “Hope you don’t mind me barging in on you like this. I called in a favor from Abe.” The barmaid brought a bucket for Yojimbo and a tankard for Eli. “In answer to your unasked question my name was my mother’s idea. She’s a wonderful woman, but …”

“where I come from our fathers give us our names.”

“Not a bad system.”

“What do you want from me? You know I like to keep my contact with you Phoenixes minimal.  If you want something from me for your group, it's best to go through Severus."

 

Tonks looked into her tankard. “This is a little more, uh, personal. I can trust you not to mention this to anyone?”

“Depends on what you’ve got to say, Tonks.”

 “It’s about Remus Lupin.”

“Him? I was never close to him. We spoke only a few times in our years in school, and a few times last year when he was teaching here.”

“It’s like this … I really like him. And he never stops talking about you. I figured, I’d get a good look at you, see what you’ve got, and see what I haven’t.”

Eli snorted and began to laugh. “You fancy him, eh?”

“Yes, I do, but he won’t make a move on me and pushes me away when I try. But I know he likes me. Says I’m too young. Says I’ve got a future but not if I hang too close to him.”

“He does like strong women, he’s got that going for him. It’s because he’s a werewolf, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“So you want me to tell you how to get Remus to take you on? What do you like most about him? Don’t tell me, tell him.  He has a low opinion of himself, you know.  You may have to use a bit of force to get your point across. Do you know how to dance?”

“No.”

“Then learn, and wear a beautiful dress. Take him out waltzing. That usually works."

"Sirius used to talk about you, too.  He told everyone about how you were the only one who thought he didn't do it, and you were the only one who fed him when he was hungry . . you know he loved that blanket and now Remus has it on his bed. I know you didn't like Sirius but he truly was sorry for all he did. He told me that it was his fault Remus never got involved with you . .. but Remus said you never would have.”

“He's right, it never would have happened, Remus is just not my type, he’s a moral coward, he agrees with my assessment, don’t look at me that way. We might have been friends, but no benefits. As for Black, he knew I’d never touch him, and his ego just couldn’t handle a female who wouldn’t fall for his alleged charm. I don’t think Black was ever sorry for what he did. He got punished for what he didn’t do, kind of ironic.”

“But you thought he was innocent.” “Naw, he was never _innocent_ but he didn’t do what he was accused of doing. The way I look at it he served his time for all the other shit he got away with. Don’t really care. You’ve got a fucked up justice system run by fools. Black wasn’t all that unique. They let the guilty go free and imprison the innocent in a fortress unfit for vermin. And what good did it do to imprison that insane le Strange creature? She could drive a Dementor over the points if any of ‘em ever tried to suck down her dessicated soul, if she still has one.”

“How do you Fey handle things?”

“We don’t have prisons. Exile works well for most antisocial types. We just kill those who harm other creatures without cause. We don’t get much of that; haven’t for hundreds of years. We eliminated the violent traits from the gene pool. People still lash out but we have learned ways of containing and controlling anger. Of course our mental health care is superior and we actually cure the afflicted. Terrans either let them die horribly or hide them in places even worse than prisons.”

 

Tonks ordered another round. “I read your paper on the history of shapeshifting. I’m a Metamorphmagus, you know, I even tried turning my eyes purple, thought about seducing him disguised as you … “

“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I know you don’t get it. I don’t get what you see in Snape. That’s the way it works sometimes.”

“Don’t be stupid enough to try to be me, that will never work in the long run.”

“I should tell you, my mother was Andromeda Black. I know you can’t stand that family. Other than Sirius, I agree with you.”

“Another Black.”

“She agreed with your assessment of the family, she couldn’t help being born to the parents she was, but she did run away and marry a Muggle-born.”

“Good on her, that means you won’t inherit the family insanity. You’re lucky the worst she gave you was your name. You’re quite a witch, aren’t you? Spying on the Ministry for the Order, and living proof that the Purebred Supremacy is a lie. I wish we could work together. You look like you can fight.”

“I wish I could fight with you, maybe we can someday, after this is over. It can’t go on much longer. You’re a Faerie, I’m sure you’ve got seers who are keeping score.”

“Yeah, it’s not looking real good right now, he’ll lose, it’s just a question of how badly the Ministry handles things. It seems to me that they want to lose even more than Riddle wants to win. The problem is just how much damage those numbnuts do, and that could be considerable. It could spill over to the Muggle world that that would have some very negative sequelae.”

“No shit, Sherlock. I understand your sister is offering sanctuary to any creature?”

“Yes, that’s so. She’s another reason why I can’t get involved in any direct action, I can't endanger her program. We’re allowed to destroy only Dementors. And use whatever force needed if someone claiming sanctuary is flying false colors, that sort of thing. I have to tell you, I think it’s really great of you to look past his malady. There is so much prejudice in your community, so much speciesism. There’s something else, I don’t know if I should mention it, but you know how close Remus was to Sirius Black? I mean, really, really close? I know you Terrans are uptight about sexual matters, especially when it’s not a boy girl get married and have kids immediately, but where I’m from, we don’t really care what you do or who you do it with, so long as you stick with the same species and get informed consent. But … it’s pretty obvious, or it was to me, what those two meant to each other. I suspect a lot of Black’s behavior with women was to cover up that aspect of his life, both of them were ashamed of their feelings. And Remus, he just hates to let anyone down, and Black wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“You’re saying that Sirius’s chasing girls was just a coverup?”

“He’s not the first to pretend to be straight, can you blame him, considering how despised gays are in your realm, even now?  But both of them liked both genders.  I am not sure about Remus's experiences with women, though, Sirius kept him on a pretty short leash. He was a horndog, he'd hit anything and couldn't say no to anyone, but he adored Remus, got horribly jealous if Remus so much as looked at anyone else.;

“And he attacked you because he wouldn’t share Remus"

“Yes. Plus the Marauders wouldn’t leave Severus alone and I had to defend him. I never thought about what Black must have been going through, perhaps I should have been kinder to him. We had a talk when he was hiding out in the Shack.  He stopped by to see me on Samhain.  He also met with Remus, you know.”

 

Tonks drained her tankard and looked down at the table, and said in a very soft voice, “I’ve thought about changing my gender, if it would make him want me.”

“That would be a mistake, Tonks. Remus loved Sirius, he expressed his love physically, but I’m sure he is interested in women, too. He certainly wasn’t faking his interest in me, we Fey don’t miss those signals. Black was bisexual, promiscuous by nature, totally ruled by his lower chakras, but he did love Remus, more than anyone. Remus preferred women but he loved Black with all the intensity of a first love.”

“You’re saying if Sirius hadn’t died I wouldn’t have a chance.”

“You might have had to share, Black would never give him up.  They were both bis, so if you were willing, you probably could have fit in their lives.   Remus needs someone, and I think you’d be perfect for the job. Don’t try to replace Black in Remus’s life, give him the space to love the memory. That relationship defined and formed both of them. Poor Remus lost him twice.”

“So don’t try and replace him, because I can’t.”

“Right.”

Eli said with only a slight grimace of pain. “It’s the lost loves that can’t be replaced, and the ones you never had are the ones that seem to hurt the worst.”

 

Yojimbo picked up his bucket and walked over to the bar, placed the bucket next to the ale spigot and whinnied. Abe refilled the bucket and left it on the bar. “He doesn’t want to hear us, I think. I read your essays; how the creatures who mindmeld with you tap into your brain and can understand what you do, that’s got to be interesting. I also read your essays about Faerie sexuality and how it compares to Terrans … how the Fey feel gender is mutable and not fixed. And that you have the ability to change genders, what you would be like if you’d been born the other sex.”

“I suppose you want to see what I’d look like? Sure, let me show you.” Eli made a pass with her left hand over her body and spoke a spell.

“Hey, you’re pretty hot as a bloke,” said Tonks.

“Yeah, when I demonstrated this in class I ended up with two girls and a boy chasing after me. She changed back. “Sometimes when I’m in this realm it’s just a lot easier to be a male, because of all the gender discrimination. I guess I’m fairly asexual, not ruled by my lower chakras at all. There is power in sexuality, great magic can be created using that energy, but there is even more power in containing that energy and not wasting it on physical gratification.”

Abe came over to their table with a pitcher of ale, left it and went back to the bar, where Yojimbo and the bar goat were drinking together. “Your sister is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous.”

“Yeah, like my mother. I look like my dad. Should’ve been a boy, I guess, but I look OK, unless I’m standing next to her. Then no one even sees me. We should go see her dressmaker, her name is Pascale, Older Sister brought her over from Paris. She’s right down the street.”

 

After they finished drinking, they left the pub and went to the shop, a small building off the main street, a converted cottage with a store front. They entered the building, leaving Yojimbo next to a garden bench next to a small fountain, and were greeted by Pascale. “I have a woman here who needs a red velvet dancing dress,” she said. “And I mean red, fully saturated, a true red, so she can’t be missed.”

Pascale walked around Tonks, looking her up and down. “Bias cut, of course … laced up the back, ballerina length, flared skirt … what shall we do for the sleeves?” Two young women and an elf entered. “My apprentices. Angela, would you bring some cookies out to Yojimbo?” One of the girls picked up a plate of petit fours and Madelines and went outside. Muriel, my dear, get the red velvets, let’s see if we have the right color in stock.”

Pascale took out her sketchbook and sketched Tonks from different angles.  "So, Eli, when are you going to get your boyfriend to try something different with his robes?"  

Eli laughed.  "Tonks, did you know Severus has the same design for all of his school robes?  He had Pascale use different material for the seasons, but always the same, like a uniform, the same design Older Sister came up with, based on my uniform.  I think he looks great in it, but I've got a thing for uniforms.  It's one of the best things about the military, you never have to waste time picking out what you're going to wear.  He does get more creative when he's off duty."

 

The two went to the back of the room where bolts of material were stacked on the shelves.  Eli examined some purple sueded silk.  Muriel, her Free Elf assistant, began to drape Tonks with the velvets she'd chosen.  “For her red dress, I'd say off the shoulders, with a low cut back,” she said, and Muriel nodded. “I like this silk,”

“You should, it matches your eyes,” said Tonks. “I’d like something made of that, too.”

“I know, get a shirt dress, with lots of tiny buttons all the way down the front. We’re not fighting fair here, we are trying to get Lupin to act on his feelings. That’s why the velvet, men can’t keep their hands off. Same with this silk. And the buttons are a turn on. One more trick. I’ll get you some of the perfume I was wearing the night we danced.”

“Do you know that Remus has pictures of you from that night? One with you and Severus and one of the two of you dancing together.”

“That’s what the perfume is for, because it will trigger his memories of me, and you will be there. So he’ll be able to transfer his affections, stop mooning over me and realize you’re right there and you’re better for him. It’s up to you to use these tricks to get him to stop being so daft.”

“You’re going to need some lingerie under this, and you look the type who doesn’t keep the sort of thing you will need on hand. All silk, of course, black with lace.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll need dancing shoes. We can order those, and everything should be ready in a week. Eli, you’ll have to find someone to teach her to dance.”

“I think my mother would be happy to teach me,” Tonks said. “She’d be delighted, in fact. Now how do I get him to bring me to a dance?”

“You could bring that dance to him. Why not throw a party at your safehouse, tell the women to get all dolled up, don’t even give the men a chance to say no, just do it.”

“Yule is coming up.”

“Perfect. A surprise party. He’ll never know what hit him. You get to be his present. Got it?”

 

They re-entered the shop. Pascale finished her sketching and went over to them. “You also need a little black dress, every woman needs at least one.” She selected a satin of absolute black, that shimmered in the light with the colors of the darkest opals. “Very simple dress, round neck, sleeveless, knee length.  Let it flow over your body, a sash belt. Not much jewelry on you, Mlle Tonks. Earrings, and a bracelet. No more. Come back in a week for the final fitting.”

They left the shop and Eli and Yojimbo walked with Tonks to the lakeshore, where she apparated back to the Order’s hideout. When she returned to pick up her order, Eli had left a package with a gallon bottle, a small vial and a letter.

_Tonks: This is some mead made in Avalon from the apple blossom honey. Should be enough to give everyone a good buzz, doesn’t take much of this stuff. If this works, invite me to your wedding and I’ll be the DJ. If you ever want to get in touch with me just leave a message with one of the guards at the entrance of Hillgate, near the hospital. I’m including a song list for your party. Tell him that I think he’d be a fool to let you go._

The bill had already been paid in full. 

 

A couple of months later Eli got a message to stop by the pub.  She was not surprised to see Tonks and Remus holding hands in her corner booth.  Tonks leaped up and hugged her.  Ordinarily Eli hated physical contact with anyone, especially in public, but she knew that was just the way Tonks was, part of her manic charm.  "Nobody knows but you," Tonks said.  "We're eloping.  Not telling anyone.  It's better this way."  

"Yes, I can understand that, what with all the shit going on in the Ministry.  I think it's terribly romantic.  I owe the two of you a party of some sorts, maybe after all this is over."    She  went to Yojimbo and reached into her saddlebag.  "Might as well give you this, Tonks."  She handed over a purple and green vial.  "It's a dose of vaccine against lycanthropy, totally against the law for me to give you this, or you to have this.  Take it and never tell anyone of this."  She bent over and whispered in Tonk's ear,  "It should prevent any possibility of fetal infection, as long as you take it before you get pregnant."  She turned to Remus.  "Keep taking the potions, as soon as we can safely smuggle you to the hospital we can start with the blood cleansing.  It's one thing meeting here but none of you can be seen going to or from the Farm."  

 


End file.
